Providing flame and cut protection for construction workers

The Entire Group was established in 1985 to provide a fully coordinated design, supply, installation and maintenance service for a wide range of clients within the building and construction industries for numerous services that include all facets of fire protection, mechanical services, air-conditioning, process, piping fabrication and electrical services.

The group comprises six companies that operate across fire, mechanical, air-conditioning and engineering activities.

The Entire Group’s Mechanical Services division caters for heating and ventilation services, air conditioning systems, dust extraction and ventilation, steam and gas reticulation and heating.

“We take safety very seriously across all our companies and business units,” said Phil Todd, the Entire Group of Companies’ Occupational Health and Safety Manager. “We had one incident, not so long ago, where an accidental hand burn sustained by one of our construction people became the catalyst for us to go out and source improved hand protection for all our workers that work in our construction projects.

“The injury was sustained when one of our people had removed one of their standard-issue, general-purpose gloves to give them some better dexterity while they were carrying out a welding task.”

“Without his glove on, the operator then accidentally waved the oxy-acetylene flame across the back of his unprotected hand, which resulted in second-degree burns. However, had he been wearing the gloves that had been issued to all our staff, the tests that we conducted after the incident showed the glove would have melted, which would have caused even more injury to the worker.

“In these environments, our primary need had previously been for a pair of gloves that afforded cut protection for our workers. However, after this accident, we realised that we needed to look for gloves that would also help prevent this type of burn injury. The best solution appeared to be the PowerFlex 80-813 glove from Ansell, which is constructed using inherently flame-resistant composite materials that are rated to the European EN407 standards.

“This glove also carries the highest level of cut resistance (European EN level 5), so the combination of flame and cut resistance made it the best choice for us.

“We were also attracted to this solution as all of the components of the glove are flame resistant and the flame retardancy is not chemically applied; therefore the gloves maintain their protective properties throughout the life of the product.

“We are always looking for equipment that enhances our operational safety and efficiency. We have several people in the organisation that are currently testing this glove for day-to-day use. The breathability of the glove is a major comfort consideration and, even though they cost slightly more than our standard glove, the additional investment is well worth it.”

Ansell Sales and Marketing Director, Jérôme Feuvrier added to Todd’s comments, emphasising the rigorous testing that the gloves undergo to ensure they provide adequate protection in harsh and hazardous industrial environments, stating: “The testing of the gloves was conducted in one of the world’s most demanding work environments - the oil sands operations in Canada. With many different types of tasks and application demands, the oil sands were the perfect place to test the limits of this new glove.

“Over 200 workers have successfully tested the PowerFlex 80-813 glove in twelve different applications including construction, electrical work, heavy maintenance and repair, oil refining and pipe fitting. According to responses of people surveyed, the top-rated features of the gloves included fit, feel and grip.

“The main reason for its development was the tar sands industry in Canada, where there are many cut issues and where flame resistance is also a key factor.

“Platform drilling has been another successful market for this glove. In Canada’s Hibernia oil fields, the PowerFlex 80-813 glove is now mandatory protection for all personnel working on oil rigs. These sites present many opportunities for fire and combustion, so fire-rated gloves are mandatory for workers to wear. However, materials such as leather really won’t allow workers to perform their duties satisfactorily while wearing thick and heavy gloves. However, the PowerFlex 80-813 glove is sufficiently thin and lightweight that workers can carry out their activities without hindrance from their gloves.”